As a black individual, I have always been conscious of the representation or lack thereof in various aspects of life. One area that often goes unnoticed is the digital world, specifically emojis. Currently, the default skin tone for emojis is light. This does not reflect the diversity and inclusivity that our society should strive to uphold.

Emojis are more than just fun icons we use in our daily communications; they are a reflection of our identities and experiences. In 2015, Apple introduced diverse skin tones for emojis to better represent global users (source: Emojipedia). However, these options are not set as default and must be manually selected each time.

I propose that both black and light skin tones be set as defaults on either side of an emoji. This small change can send a powerful message about equality and representation.

According to a study by Adobe in 2019, nearly half of emoji users want more inclusive representations (source: Adobe Emoji Trend Report). By implementing this change, tech companies can show their commitment to inclusivity while meeting user demands.

Let's urge tech companies to make this change – because every small step towards equality counts. Please sign this petition if you believe in equal representation in all areas of life including our digital communications.